Review of A Rebel Heart by Beth White

My Thoughts ~

Five years after the final shot was fired in the War Between the States, Selah Daughtry can barely manage to keep herself, her two younger sisters, and their spinster cousin fed and clothed. With their family's Mississippi plantation swamped by debt and the Big House falling down around them, the only option seems to be giving up their ancestral land.

Pinkerton agent and former Union cavalryman Levi Riggins is investigating a series of robberies and sabotage linked to the impoverished Daughtry plantation. Posing as a hotel management agent for the railroad, he tells Selah he'll help her save her home, but only if it is converted into a hotel. With Selah otherwise engaged with renovations, Levi moves onto the property to "supervise" while he actually attends to his real assignment right under her nose.

Selah isn't sure she entirely trusts the handsome Yankee, but she'd do almost anything to save her home. What she never expected to encounter was his assault on her heart.

For more information about Beth White and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Got a love for historical fiction, a desire to see modern issues tackled, a yearning for romance, and a fancy for a plethora of wisecracks that will have you snorting in an improper way? Want to see all those things combined into one fantastic story?

A Rebel Heart by Beth White fills this order like icy lemonade on a hot July day.

A Rebel Heart is full of mystery, daring escapes, and lots of suspects. I enjoyed how the mystery was laid out for the reader, finding that this style worked well for this novel. Major details were made known early in the story, but the author kept just enough tantalizing evidence back, leaving me eagerly turning the pages until I knew it all.

In the midst of this mystery, there's one of those romances that truly defines the "It's Complicated" status. Actually, that status defines all the relationships in this tale, romantic or otherwise. Levi and Selah navigate their complicated history while working on repairing the damaged relationships of friends and family around them as they also work together to transform the beautiful plantation into a luxury hotel. While the racism from some characters made me cringe, I applaud the author for not only writing a novel that was delicately handled, but (sadly) true to the era. The author takes a extensive look at all the characters, revealing deeper complexities than skin color or home state, but delving into forgiveness and what it really means to follow after God in your life.

Four Stars ~ A complex, humorous, and romantic start to what is sure to be an entertaining series! A Rebel Heart is the first book in Beth White's Daughtry House Series! I look forward to the next installment!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

 

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
 

Review of Just Let Go by Courtney Walsh

About the Book ~

For Quinn Collins, buying the flower shop in downtown Harbor Pointe fulfills a childhood dream, but also gives her the chance to stick it to her mom, who owned the store before skipping town twenty years ago and never looking back. Completing much-needed renovations, however, while also competing for a prestigious flower competition with her mother as the head judge, soon has Quinn in over her head. Not that she’d ever ask for help.

Luckily, she may not need to. Quinn’s father and his meddling friends find the perfect solution in notorious Olympic skier Grady Benson, who had only planned on passing through the old-fashioned lakeside town. But when a heated confrontation leads to property damage, helping Quinn as a community-service sentence seems like the quickest way out―and the best way to avoid more negative press.

Quinn finds Grady reckless and entitled; he thinks she’s uptight and too regimented. Yet as the two begin to hammer and saw, Quinn sees glimpses of the vulnerability behind the bravado, and Grady learns from her passion and determination, qualities he seems to have lost along the way. But when a well-intentioned omission has devastating consequences, Grady finds himself cast out of town―and Quinn’s life―possibly forever. Forced to face the hurt holding her back, Quinn must finally let go or risk missing out on the adventure of a lifetime.

For more information about Courtney Walsh and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Just Let Go is the perfect book to read when you need a really good excuse to avoid all those outside chores this summer! And maybe by the time you're done, you'll have a whole "wild and untamable" vision for your flower garden.

For me, that means another excuse to let it overgrown this summer and read! Hehe! ;-)

Revisit the adorable town of Harbor Pointe, spot a couple of your favorite characters, and fall in love with some new ones in Just Let Go! There's so much to love in this story that's sweeter than a bouquet of roses!

Quinn Collins is snarky, dedicated, and stuck. I love flowers, so I adored the fact that she's a florist. It all felt so whimsical and beautiful! Grady is snarky, talented, and rebellious. I love to ski, and while I'm much more cautious than Grady, relating to him in that way made this swoony character even more endearing. And did you notice that Quinn and Grady have something huge in common? Snarky! So I obviously loved, loved, LOVED the witty dialogue between Quinn and Grady! I could not stop grinning! Their progression towards being a couple felt natural, and the push and pull of I'm not good enough for you! coupled with But I want to be good enough for you! felt totally relatable.

In the midst of all those snappy one-liners, there lies a powerful truth that reflects the title of this sweet tale. The power of letting go of all the hurt, the lies, the unforgiveness, the past, the future, the questions, the anger, the everything! And only once you let go are you free to grow "wild and untamable" in God's love.

Four Stars ~ A witty and sweet romance filled with God's "wild and untamable" truth! Just Let Go is a standalone novel, but if you've read Just Look Up, you will be delighted to return to one of most adorable small towns in the fictional world!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

 

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Review of Things I Never Told You by Beth K. Vogt

About the Book ~

It’s been ten years since Payton Thatcher’s twin sister died in an accident, leaving the entire family to cope in whatever ways they could. No longer half of a pair, Payton reinvents herself as a partner in a successful party-planning business and is doing just fine―as long as she manages to hold her memories and her family at arm’s length.

But with her middle sister Jillian’s engagement, Payton’s party-planning skills are called into action. Which means working alongside her opinionated oldest sister, Johanna, who always seems ready for a fight. They can only hope that a wedding might be just the occasion to heal the resentment and jealousy that divides them . . . until a frightening diagnosis threatens Jillian’s plans and her future. As old wounds are reopened and the family faces the possibility of another tragedy, the Thatchers must decide if they will pull together or be driven further apart.

For more information about Beth K. Vogt and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Do you have tissues?

Well, you're going to need them...

Things I Never Told You is an intense read in women's fiction with some serious Little Women vibes - only everything goes horribly, horribly wrong... And I'm not exaggerating.

Have. Tissues.

Things I Never Told You is very well written and will be a powerful book for many, many people; however, since the grief and breast cancer storylines may hit too close to home, prepare yourself for the upheaval of emotions this novel will unleash within you.

The grief storyline is told mostly through Payton's first-person point of view as she finally starts to deal with the grief she's never acknowledged over the death of her twin sister. With a little help from an unconventional friendship with Zach Gains - another wonderful perspective - and the God she doesn't realize has been there all along, Payton finally starts to live her life again. The breast cancer storyline is told through Jillian's perspective, and while tactfully written, readers will ache with her on this journey.

A tale of estranged sisters who are desperately trying to find their way back to each other as they navigate decades of grief, fear, and secrets, this story really touches on what it means to be a family. Since the living Thatchers are not Christians, the spiritual angle is light, but I enjoyed how organic all the God moments and subtle nudges felt. Living in God's freedom regardless of present circumstances or mistakes from the past reverberates within these pages with a beautiful clarity.

Three Stars ~ Things I Never Told You is a heartachingly, intense, beautiful tale that will speak to the hearts of many readers. Things I Never Told You is the first book in Beth K. Vogt's new Thatcher Sister Series.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

 

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Review of Becoming the Talbot Sisters by Rachel Linden

About the Book ~

Twin sisters Waverly and Charlie Talbot have drifted far apart as they pursue opposite dreams of stardom and service to the poor. On an astonishing journey across Central Europe, they must come together to face their fears, find their courage and fight for what they love.

Celebrity chef Waverly Ross has built a successful career with her home-entertaining show Simply Perfect. Yet she and her husband, Andrew, have never been able to realize the true desire of Waverly’s heart: to become a mother. Meanwhile Waverly’s twin sister, Charlie Talbot, buries her bitter disappointment and shattered idealism beneath a life spent serving others as an international aid worked in Budapest, Hungary.

When the beloved aunt who raised them passes away, Waverly and Charlie come together in their grief after living years on separate continents. Struck by a fierce desire to bridge the distance between them, Charlie offers Waverly and her husband the selfless gift of surrogacy.

But soon the sisters find they are each in danger of losing their jobs, seemingly putting their dreams on hold once again. When Waverly shows up unannounced in Budapest with a plan to rescue Simply Perfect, the sisters embark on an adventure across Central Europe that could save them both from occupational hazards. Though the twins haven’t had to rely on each other since childhood, an unforeseen dangerous turn in their journey across Europe forces them to stand together to save their careers, the baby, and each other.

For more information about Rachel Linden and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Surprising.

That's what I would say if I had to sum up Becoming the Talbot Sisters by Rachel Linden in one word. This story truly surprised me!

As first glance, this seems like a novel of sisterly bonding - and it is - but so much more lies beneath the surface. The author weaves difficult subjects like miscarriages, marriage struggles, surrogacy, rape, sex trafficking, and adoption into the story in such a real and relatable way. The romance is very light, but 'twas enough to satisfy my mushy meter. *insert gooey feelings here* And thanks to some jaw-dropping twists and shocking turns, a suspenseful undertone wafts from the pages, beckoning the reader to hurry up and finish this savory tale.

Yes, there's also a dash of foodie added as flavor to the story. ;-)

In the midst of this delectable journey, courage drives Waverly and Charlie through their traumas and trials, and it will inspire readers to be courageous not only for the people who need them but also for themselves in all circumstances. We often have a plan for life, but a cause for which to be courageous doesn't wait for us to fit it into our lives; it just happens. This is something I think was illustrated very well in Becoming the Talbot Sisters, and the subtle Christian values give this story a broad appeal for reaching and calling many readers to action.

Three Stars ~ Becoming the Talbot Sisters is a little different than what I normally read, but I'm very glad that I read this heartfelt tale! If you're a fan of Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay or if you cherish a good story of sisterly bonding, then I think you will really enjoy Becoming the Talbot Sisters by Rachel Linden!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

 

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!